Last week I mentioned that I cooked Paella in the microwave – This week I’ll show you how to do it. Some will say it’s a sin to cook Paella in the microwave, but even though it isn’t authentic, it tastes good and isn’t difficult to make, so why not? It’s a good recipe to know in case you have a busy night or you don’t feel like cooking but you want a warm dinner for your family.

First buy a box of Goya Paella. Each box costs less than $5. You can find them in the “Ethnic” aisle of most grocery stores. The box of Goya Paella comes with almost everything you need, including the instructions. The instructions to make it in the microwave are printed on the rice packet inside the box. In addition to the box, you’re going to need 3 cups of water and a tablespoon of oil – that’s it!

The instructions on the packet are in English and Spanish, but you just have to mix the contents of the rice packet and the contents of the can of seafood, (that come in the box), with 3 cups of water and a tablespoon of oil. Remember that you need a dish that says “microwave safe” on the bottom – and also that has a lid.

After 5 minutes on high in the microwave, cook it for 25 minutes more, but this time on 50% power. If you don’t know how to change your microwave to 50% power, check the manual. For my microwave, I just had to push the button that says “Power Level” multiple times until it said “50” on the screen.

Let it cool for a few minutes, (the dish will be really hot! Be careful!) You can serve it by itself, or with chicken, tortillas and salad. I like to mix in a sausage, cooked and cut into pieces so that the family feels fuller. Very easy, isn’t it?